I once had a conversation with a safety director from a large international company. He told me about how they used to have a lot of slip and falls due to ice and snow. And when they investigated ways to reduce winter slip and fall accidents, they concluded it was time to invest in ice cleats.
He went on to describe how they did their research, testing, due diligence, etc. and ended up buying what they believed was the best ice cleat at the time. (Full disclosure: This isn’t an ice cleat my company manufactures.)
I asked if they still have slip and fall incidents in ice and snow, and he reluctantly admitted they did, but added, “We’ve had good success while using this brand. Why should I switch to yours?”
I was prepared to answer, because I get this question all the time. So, I started with one simple question: If your employees transition from ice and snow outdoors to a clean, indoor surface (concrete, tile, etc.), is your current ice cleat safe to wear indoors without being removed?
He said no.This safety director described how employees are told the ice cleats need to be removed before entering buildings. I asked if they’ve ever had any issues with employees either forgetting or refusing to take the current ice cleats off before walking indoors. Again, he reluctantly admitted, yes, they have.
I asked one more question:Wouldn’t you like to find something that can be safely worn both outdoors and indoors without having to be removed? Of course he would! Employees would stop complaining about their ice cleats and he would further reduce, if not completely eliminate, all of their winter slip and fall incidents.
So now I’ll ask you one final question: If your company is using ice cleats or some other form of traction aids and they are slippery indoors – or have to be removed constantly – do you think maybe it’s time to reconsider the brand you buy?
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Bill Coyne is the VP of Sales for Winter Walking. He has been helping organizations across a wide variety of business sectors eliminate workplace slips and falls incidents in ice and snow for over 20 years. Email Bill bill@winterwalking.com or visit www.winterwalking.com for additional helpful information and resources.
